She swallowed hard and blinked back tears, barely daring to believe what she was hearing. “You do?”
“I absolutely do. No question in my mind.” His voice wrapped around her heart like a blanket, soothing and private and intimate all at once. He was...everything.
“I believe you and I want so very much to believe that will be enough.”
“Then be willing to challenge that warrior spirit of yours and fight for what we feel for each other.”
Fight? Erika had been used to fighting for the things that mattered to her. Maybe this battleground wasn’t so foreign, after all. “Fight.”
“Yes, stay here. Get to know me. Let me get to know you. And every day for the rest of our lives we’ll get to know more and more about each other. That’s how it works.”
“I will move in with you?” The idea was tantalizing this time and she wondered why she had dismissed it so readily before. Out of pride? The thought of losing herself in her family again reminded her how hard she had fought for her freedom to live her life. And truth be told, she wanted to live here, in this fascinating town with this even more fascinating man. She wanted to give her children a family life like the Reynauds.
She wanted Gervais.
Looking over his shoulder, her eyes took in the mansion.
“Yes. If that is what you wish.”
“I can go to school here?” She hadn’t even looked into programs around here, but she could. There were ways to make this work. Now that she knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he loved her.
“Yes. If that is what you wish,” he said again, those final words making it clear he understood her need for control over her life.
“We bring up our children here?”
“Yes, and in your country, too, whenever possible, if you wish. And most of all I hope that you’ll do all of that as my wife.” He squeezed her hand, brought her to a standing position.
Erika looked up at him, reading his eyes. “As simple as that?”
Pulling her into him, he shook his head. “Not simple at all. But very logical.”
“Love as a logical emotion?” The idea tickled her.
“The love I feel for you defies any logic it’s so incredible. It fills every corner of me. But I do know that my plan to work harder than I’ve ever worked at anything in my life to make you happy? Yes, that will be a plan I’m not leaving to chance. I will make that a conscious choice. But if you need time to decide—”
She cupped his face in her hands. “I do not need any more time at all. Yes.”
“Yes?” Lines of excitement and relief tugged at his face.
She breathed in the scent of him, feeling balanced and renewed. Sure, for the first time in weeks, that this was where she was supposed to be.
“Yes, I love you and I will move in with you. I will go to school here. I will have our children here. And most of all, yes, I will marry you.”
He gathered her closer, a sigh of relief racking his big, strong body. “Thank God.”
“How did I ever get so lucky to meet and fall for such a wonderfully stubborn man?”
“We knew that day we met.”
“In spite of logic.”
“Instincts. With instincts like ours, we will make a winning team—” he rested his mouth on hers “—for life.”
* * * * *
If you loved A PREGNANT PRINCESS BRIDE, don’t miss the next book in the BAYOU BILLIONAIRES series from USA TODAY bestselling author Catherine Mann and Joanne Rock
HIS SECRETARY’S SURPRISE FIANCÉ
by Joanne Rock
Available March 2016!
***
And pick up these other emotional and sexy reads from USA TODAY bestselling author Catherine Mann
ONE GOOD COWBOY
PURSUED BY THE RICH RANCHER
PREGNANT BY THE COWBOY CEO
A CHRISTMAS BABY SURPRISE
***
If you’re on Twitter, tell us what you think of Harlequin Desire! #harlequindesire
NEVER TOO LATE
Brenda Jackson
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Excerpt from How to Sleep with the Boss by Janice Maynard
Chapter 1
Twelve days and counting...
Pushing a lock of twisted hair that had fallen in her face behind her ear, Sienna Bradford, soon to become Sienna Davis once again, straightened her shoulders as she walked into the cabin she’d once shared with her husband—soon-to-be ex-husband.
She glanced around. Had it been just three years ago when Dane had brought her here for the first time? Three years ago when the two of them had sat there in front of the fireplace after making love, and planned their wedding? Promising that no matter what, their marriage would last forever? She took a deep breath knowing that for them, forever would end in twelve days in Judge Ratcliff’s chambers.
Just thinking about it made her heart ache, but she decided it wouldn’t help matters to have a pity party. What was done was done and things just hadn’t worked out between her and Dane like they’d hoped. There was nothing to do now but move on with her life. But first, according to a letter her attorney had received from Dane’s attorney a few days ago, she had ten days to clear out any and all of her belongings from the cabin, and the sooner she got the task done, the better. Dane had agreed to let her keep the condo if she returned full ownership of the cabin to him. She’d had no problem with that, since he had owned it before they married.
Sienna crossed the room, shaking off the March chill. According to forecasters, a snowstorm was headed toward the Smoky Mountains within the next seventy-two hours, which meant she had to hurry and pack up her stuff and take the two-hour drive back to Charlotte. Once she got home she intended to stay inside and curl up in bed with a good book. Sienna smiled, thinking that a “do nothing” weekend was just what she needed in her too frantic life.
Her smile faded when she considered that since starting her own interior decorating business a year and a half ago, she’d been extremely busy—and she had to admit that was when her marital problems with Dane had begun.
Sienna took a couple of steps toward the bedroom to begin packing her belongings when she heard the sound of the door opening. Turning quickly, she suddenly remembered she had forgotten to lock the door. Not smart when she was alone in a secluded cabin high up in the mountains, and a long way from civilization.
A scream quickly died in her throat when the person who walked in—standing a little over six feet with dark eyes, close-cropped black hair, chestnut coloring and a medium build—was none other than her soon-to-be ex.
From the glare on his face, she could tell he wasn’t happy to see her. But so what? She wasn’t happy to see him, either, and couldn’t help wondering why he was there.
Before she could swallow the lump in her throat to ask, he crossed his arms over his broad chest, intensified his glare and said in that too sexy voice she knew so well, “I thought that was your car parked outside, Sienna. What are you doing here?”
Chapter 2
Dane wet his suddenly dry lips and immediately decided he needed a beer. Lucky for him there was a six-pack in the refrigerator from the last time he’d come to the cabin. But he didn’t intend on moving an inch until Sienna told him what she was doing there.
She was nervous, he could tell. Well, that was too friggin bad. She was the one who’d filed for the divorce—he hadn’t. But since she had made it clear that she wanted him out of her life, he had no problem giving her what she wanted, even if the pain was practically killing him. But she’d never know that.
“What do you think I’m doing here?” she asked smartly, reclaiming his absolute attention.
“If I knew, I wouldn’t have asked,” he said, giving her the same unblinking stare. And to think that at one time he actually thought she was his whole world. At some point during their marriage she had changed and transitioned into quite a character—someone he was certain he didn’t know anymore.
She met his gaze for a long, level moment before placing her hands on her hips. Doing so drew his attention to her body; a body he’d seen naked countless times, a body he knew as well as his own; a body he used to ease into during the heat of passion to receive pleasure so keen and satisfying, just thinking about it made him hard.